SYDNEY: A man in his forties has become the first to be discharged from hospital fitted with a completely artificial heart, the Sydney hospital where the operation was executed said on Wednesday.
The man, who suffered from severe heart failure, lived with the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart (TAH), a blood pump made of titanium, for more than 100 days before receiving a heart transplant in March, reported German news agency dpa.
In November, the man was fitted with the artificial heart at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital as a bridging measure while he waited for a donated heart to become available, the first time such an operation was performed in Australia.
He was discharged while fitted with the device in February, before receiving a donated heart in March.
“The patient holds the record for the longest time a BiVACOR patient has gone from implant to transplant – a major step toward the future of artificial heart technology,“ St Vincent’s said in a statement.
“With this innovation, the long-term goal is for patients to live with the device indefinitely without needing a transplant.”
Dr Paul Jansz, the cardiothoracic and transplant surgeon who implanted the mechanical heart, said the device is a “complete game-changer.”
Five patients received the BiVACOR device in the US between July and November 2024 as part of a FDA Early Feasibility Study, but none of them were discharged with the implant. All five were discharged after receiving a heart transplant.
The BiVACOR implant uses magnetic levitation technology, the same principle used in high-speed trains, to pump blood to the pulmonary and systemic circulations. According to its makers, it is suitable for most men and women and can provide enough cardiac output for an adult male undergoing exercise.
